Zim Envoy Defends Mugabe Chairmanship Take Over

Zimbabwe has moved to defend the imminent takeover of the chairmanship for the Southern African Development Community by their long standing despotic leader Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for 34 years is due to take over the chairmanship of SADC next week during the Heads of State summit that will have Zambia represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba.

Zimbabwe High Commissioner to Zambia Lovemore Mazemo said that Mugabe had the right credentials to lead SADC.

“There are no gross human rights in Zimbabwe, you need to ask the people of Zimbabwe they elected him because he is the best leader available so if they were victims they could not have elected one who is victimizing,” Mazemo said.

“So he is president of Zimbabwe with the overwhelming majority choice of the people of Zambia. It is the right of the people of Zimbabwe to choose that leader and it is that right that must be respected.”

He said, “President Mugabe has not run down the economy, his enemies have to this day because they do not like his policies which basically are to empower the people of Zimbabwe development will be useless if it leaves people behind ownership and contribution to the economy must be hinged by people participation and that is what is what President Mugabe stands for.”

Mazemo said: “Therefore his role in SADC has been given by the leaders of the SADC region. So who are those who are saying he does not deserve when the region itself has made a choice. The region has trusted him, it has trusted in his partnership with President Mugabe after all there is not a leader in SADC who will take his personal opinion whatever they might be. “

There is an emerging protest to Zimbabwe leading the SADC region given their controversial human rights record and also defacto life presidency of the 90 years old Mugabe.